Cai Sanyuan ultimately agreed to join Su Xin's ranks as a consecrated expert of the Northwest Army, just as Su Xin had expected.
Su Xin had a keen grasp of human nature. Though he had only worked with Cai Sanyuan once, combining that encounter with the information he had gathered gave him a fairly clear understanding of Cai Sanyuan's character.
This man was an old hand in the Jianghu, somewhat unscrupulous in his dealings, yet not vicious enough to be utterly without a bottom line.
Seeking advantage and avoiding harm had become Cai Sanyuan's instinct. Su Xin did not need to persuade him much; as long as he laid out all the stakes clearly, Cai Sanyuan would naturally know which choice to make.
Of course, the most important factor was Su Xin's current status and strength.
The string of dazzling titles Su Xin now bore—the Northwest Circuit Military Governor, the Grand Superintendent of the Secret Guard, and so on—revealed one thing: the Imperial Court would grant Su Xin tremendous freedom. So long as he could seize control of the Northwest Circuit, Su Xin would become the Northwest King!
Naturally, when Su Xin had first entered the Northwest Circuit, people had treated that as a joke. But after news of his two astonishing victories spread, no one in the entire Northwest Circuit dared regard Su Xin as a joke anymore.
At the very least, Cai Sanyuan knew his own limits. He was absolutely no match for Zhongli Yan. Since Su Xin had suppressed Zhongli Yan all the way to his death, Cai Sanyuan likely would not even last ten moves against Su Xin.
Although they had once fought side by side, Cai Sanyuan's greatest virtue was his ability to see himself clearly. Following Su Xin was nothing shameful.
"My lord, are